Page 121 of Little Sunshine

Something about the way he said that filled me with trepidation. “Ash?—”

My words cut off when he gripped my chin in that way that made my breath freeze until my lungs burned. He ducked down so his face was all I could see. “From now on, it’s Daddy.”

Chapter 18

You Can’t Get Rejected If You Never Even Try

MILA

“Daddy?” I breathed, not trusting that I’d heard him correctly.

His lids closed, and he inhaled sharply. Still holding my chin and hip, he tugged me closer so my ass slid from his knees to his lap. His hardness pressed between my spread legs. “Say it again.”

“Daddy?” It came out airier and even more unsure than before, but that didn’t seem to matter to him.

His cock jerked in response. He held me there for a moment before repositioning me on his knees. “Is that something you’re into?”

“Yes.”

At my immediate answer, Ash gave another of those pleased smiles that made me feel like I’d done something amazing rather than just mutter a single word.

I hated to ruin it, but once my brain caught up with my hormones, I amended, “Maybe? I mean, I don’t know.”

I really wish I would’ve grilled Juliet about her relationship to know what it actually entails so I’m not giving a wishy-washy answer.

Ash, of course, didn’t take it like that. “It’s okay, it’s a lot. That’s why I was trying to take it slow.”

“Would it be like Juliet and her husband?”

“No.”

At his blunt denial, disappointment I didn’t even understand, much less have the right to feel, hit my chest.

But Ash wasn’t done.

Spearing his fingers into my hair, he tilted my head back. “Maximo is obsessed with Juliet.” His hand fisted, pulling the strands. “But I could be consumed by you.”

In my long life of always being left wanting, I didn’t think I’d ever wanted anything more.

“To answer your question,” he said, and it took my stunned brain a moment to remember what it even was, “it’s not all of a sudden. I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you nick that douchebag’s wallet.” He dropped his hands to my thighs, and his thumbs stroked soothingly. “And what’s changed is we found the motherfuckers who hurt you.”

In everything I thought he’d say, that wasn’t anywhere on the list. It was so far off the list, I wasn’t even sure I understood.

“The guys who attacked me in the alley?” I asked.

“You have someone else who’s hurt you?”

Yes. A long list. Grab a protein bar and a notepad.

“No, I’m just lost. How did you even find them?”

“We’re good with this shit.”

I was rocked. I couldn’t believe he’d found them. I couldn’t believe he’d worked so hard to do it. Because I had no doubt a ton of effort had gone into it. There was no shortage of lowlifes. Sifting through to find them—especially with no real info to go off—would be like finding two specific needles in an even bigger stack of needles.

Violence happened in Vegas all the time.

No.

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